Thursday, February 2, 2012

Service Dogs for PTSD and TBI

Camp Murray initiative helps vets

Georgie, a yellow lab is undergoing training to become a service dog
to a local veteran with PTSD or TBI symptoms. /Courtesy photo

Amee Gilbert's son attempted suicide at the start of this year.
The Army specialist suffered from rage, nightmares and anxiety following
a deployment to Iraq. Months of medical intervention following his
suicide attempt did little to help, Gilbert said.

The first time she saw a flicker of hope for her son, however, was when he asked for a service dog.
Service
dogs are generally thought of as assisting those with physical
disabilities such as vision problems, spinal cord injuries, paralysis,
and other conditions that impair mobility. But they can also help those
with such invisible disabilities as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and
traumatic brain injuries.
The Joint Service Support Center (J9) on
Camp Murray has recently launched a new program to provide service dogs
to veterans suffering from these types of injuries. In addition to
companionship, support and a soothing presence, the dogs are specially
trained to get help in emergencies, retrieve items, act as barriers,
provide physical stability and more. Furthermore, "the service dog plays
a crucial role in the emotional stability of the veteran," according to
information in the application packet.
Having a service dog
"makes it easier to reintegrate into society and allows you to
socialize," said a staff sergeant from Joint Base Lewis-McChord with
PTSD who has had his dog, a blue heeler named Sidney, for about four
months. "It gives you a sense of belonging." The soldier declined to be
identified.
Development of the program began about six months
ago. Spearheading the movement was Aaron McCarthy, transition service
coordinator at the J9, and Shirley Schmunk, a Gold Star Mother and
Washington National Guard Survivor Outreach Services coordinator. The
program began as an avenue to give Gold Star family members a connection
back to the military, McCarthy said, as well as a way for qualified
veterans with PTSD and TBI to receive service dogs quickly.
A team
of 14 volunteers is working to make the program a reality. In addition
to McCarthy, Schmunk, Gilbert and other members from the JSS, volunteers
include representatives from the Tacoma Veterans Center; the Washington
Department of Veterans Affairs; The Gratitude Campaign; the Pet Brigade
on JBLM; animal behavior consultant Wendy Dahl; Gold Star family member
Susan Whitman; and Luis Carlos Montalvan, a retired Army captain with
severe PTSD who advocates for service dogs for servicemembers.
The
program already has two fully certified service dogs in place and
recently received its first puppy, a yellow Labrador retriever named
Georgie. In addition to basic commands such as "sit" and "stay," Georgie
will learn specific tasks such as "hug," in which she will lay across
her soldier's lap, and "post," in which she stands between the soldier
and someone else. Training will take up to 18 months.
"(We're) not
only going to get soldiers with PTSD and TBI, we're going to service
all veterans," McCarthy said. And all veterans are eligible. "That's the
beauty of it," McCarthy said, "I don't care if it's a Korean War vet.
It doesn't matter to me. With the JSS, we will not turn away any
veteran."
Funding for the program currently comes through
donations, and McCarthy is working to establish a nonprofit 501 (c) 3
status to help with costs.
"Restoring (servicemembers)
independence is the ultimate goal," said McCarthy. "If I can give one
dog to a veteran and get that veteran some of his motivation back,
something to live for, some drive, then I've done my job."
The new
program is "fantastic," said Gilbert, whose son now has a service dog
named Silas. "It's brought another dimension to who we can help. Not
just active duty, every branch ... anyone who's suffering. We want to
help everyone, no matter where they came from or why."
For more information about the new program, e-mail McCarthy at aaron.mccarthy@us.army.mil or call (253) 512-1351.

About Me

I am a mom, a grandmother, a brain injury survivor and a writer of brain injury, PTSD and epilepsy poetry and prose. I have also been on a medical cannabis, brain injury, epilepsy, and dementia journey the last 4 years. I have had a personal TBI website since 1996.